Plasa 2016 is engaging in a ‘new experiment’ with The Exploratorium – a maze where the participants show off both their technical expertise and their imaginations.
The simple, interactive, entertaining and educational experiments contained in The Exploratorium ‘prove a concept, demonstrate a principle and wow visitors with a bit of science’. Among the exhibits, there will be axe heads and horns, virtual reality and prisms, experiments on perception and a Brain Transfer Machine.
One highlight of The Exploratorium is The Sideshow: This is a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to demonstrate this brand new technology in a way that allows visitors the chance to try it out for themselves,’ says Ryan Metcalfe from PreeVue, producers of photo-realistic 3D models for theatre productions and live events using the latest CAD and VR technology.
Another, claiming much further reaching benefits, is Lens Through A Stereogram, where the maze ends. Supported by technical sponsor Avits, Barco, J&C Joel, Sound Directions and ZeroDB this interactive art installation explores the notion of visual and sound perception, in particular in relation to dementia. It is being developed as part of a wider project, in which a series of interactive arts installations investigate how the sense of perception, sense of the self and forms of expression may change in people affected by dementia.
‘I have long been toying with the idea of an Exploratorium, and after a chance meeting with Iris Musel, who’s installation Lens Through A Stereogram forms part of it, I was galvanised to make it happen,’ says Soulsound’s Darryn de la Soul. ‘Her project is technology heavy – and what better place to show off that technology? – I can’t wait to see and hear them in action.’
Loudspeaker manufacturers d&b audiotechnik and Funktion-One are both contributing experiments, while Projection Artworks will showcase its Display Mapper system and technology platform that helps create projection-mapped displays at the touch of a button from any smart device. ‘Engaging people at a practical level interactively, so that they can make their own minds up about what it is that is being experimented brings some originality to the exhibition with some fun thrown in, says Funktion-One’s Ann Andrews.
‘Education is a fundamental part of what we do and extremely important for the industry as a whole,’ adds Emma Adamou from d&b. ‘Acoustic experiments have proved to be a very effective and inspirational way of achieving this and The Exploratorium is the ideal platform to demonstrate it, whilst providing a varied and cultural experience for show visitors.’
Pioneering the design and manufacture of 3D in-ear monitoring, is Klang:technologies participating in The Exploratorium in partnership with its UK distributor, HD Pro Audio. ‘The concept of The Exploratorium immediately appealed to us in its inventive approach to showing new technologies in an interactive, informative and entertaining way,’ says HD Pro Audio Sales Director, Andy Huffer. ‘Klang’s 3D IEM is leading edge, so requires engineers and performers to hear it to appreciate the significant advance it represents in spatial and transparent in-ear monitoring.’
Klang:technologies’ 3D IEM processing promises to be a major step in the evolution of stage monitoring. Multiple musicians are able to control their own mix with standard touch-screen tablet devices whilst the revolutionary effect of the 3D processing brings greater separation, clarity and, more importantly, reality, to their personal mix. ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for us to demonstrate Klang’s innovative technology in a way that allows visitors the chance to try it out themselves, and we welcome everyone visiting Plasa to come and hear the future of IEM,’ says Huffer.
More: www.plasashow.com
